New Student Trips

New Student Trips are designed to help students transition to life at Lewis & Clark. Students have a great opportunity to form a core group of friends before they head into the fast-paced experience of moving into the residence halls and starting classes. First and foremost, we want participants to have FUN on these trips! We also incorporate programs designed to enhance decision making skills, inspire group communication, and spark discussions on issues facing college students. These trips seek to build community, increase an individual’s confidence, and give participants an appreciation for people with diverse backgrounds. Time has shown that these trips truly enrich students’ Lewis & Clark experience starting from day one! Plus, the usual excitement and uncertainty associated with arriving at a new place is much easier to manage after spending some time with a group of new students who may become your best friends!

College Outdoors is committed to promoting equity, inclusion, and accessibility in outdoor recreation. Our goal is to reduce barriers and have all students feel welcome, valued, supported, and seen in the outdoors. We value time outdoors, as it has been shown to be relaxing, empowering, build community, and improve mental health and well-being.

If you have any questions about accessibility or accommodations on trips, please call us at 503-768-7116. We love to talk about the trips, and we’re happy to talk through what is involved in each trip and which option would be best for you. You can also read the detailed trip descriptions available on each trip’s page.

We’re excited to offer a Pride OUTside NST, exclusively students who identify as gender non-conforming, transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, intersex, and/or gender diverse. Join us!

Scholarships for Outdoor Adventure New Student Trips are available to members of groups historically underrepresented in outdoor recreation, apply here.

No problem! Every trip we offer is suitable for people with no background with the activities, whether that is artistic expression or outdoor adventure. We provide all the outdoor equipment and clothing, for free, if you don’t already own it. All of our trips are led by highly trained and experienced outdoor leaders, who are current and former L&C students.

Check out our trip list for a better idea of what to expect on each trip. Our backpacking trips are the most physically demanding, and while no prior experience is needed, backpacking necessitates good physical fitness.

No problem! Check out our packing lists (located on your trip page) for a description of the essential and optional gear for your trip. We provide all the group gear such as tents, stoves, and water filters. If you don’t have your own outdoor clothing or personal equipment, we provide what you’ll need for free, as long as you request the equipment ahead of time using the online form found on our website.

Trip costs vary based on the length of the trip and the type of activities. The listed price reflects the full cost of the trip before financial aid. If you submitted a FAFSA, you may qualify for a financial aid scholarship. A limited pool of scholarship funds are provided by ASB (the student government), and these are awarded to high-need students on a sliding scale. To be considered, simply check the box regarding financial aid when you fill out the New Student Trip Reservation Form.

Additional scholarships for Outdoor Adventure trips are available to members of underrepresented groups, apply here.

Your financial award will be included in the email with your trip placement, and a link to pay online. Once you receive your trip placement and financial aid award, you are, of course, welcome to decline.

1. Check out our 2025 Trip Descriptions

2. Submit a Registration Lottery Application in your L&C Portal:

   The Registration Lottery will be open 9:00am Pacific Time, Wednesday, May 15th through 9:00am Wednesday, June 5th, 2024. Space is limited, and some trip choices are very popular, so trip assignments are based on a lottery system that takes into account your trip preferences.
   

   After Wednesday, June 5th, registrations and placements are first-come, first-served, based on remaining availability. Registration (including waitlist registration) closes on Monday, July 15th, 2024.

3. Fill out the Health and Diet Questionnaire

   Please note: your registration application is not considered complete until you have filled out the New Student Trip specific health and diet questionnaire in your L&C Portal. For this reason, the questionnaire is due within 24 hours of submitting your trip registration to hold your place. 
4. If you register during the May 15 - June 5 lottery, you will receive an email with your trip placement and a link to pay by Thursday, June 20th. For later registrations, you’ll receive an email with your trip placement and link to pay within 2 weeks after submitting your application. If you indicate on your trip registration that you would like financial aid, and your FAFSA  indicates that you are high need, your trip cost will be reduced by the scholarship amount that you qualified for. Once you are offered a trip placement, you can always decline the offer if something has come up on your schedule.

May 1 (Thursday): The Registration Lottery for New Student Trips (NSTs) opens at 9 AM Pacific Time in your L&C Portal. 

To complete your lottery registration, you must also submit your Health & Diet Questionnaire. Space is limited, and some trip choices are very popular, so trip assignments are based on a lottery system that takes into account your trip preferences. 

We will send you an email confirming that we have received your lottery registration upon submission. Payment is not due at the time of registration — payment info will be provided when you receive your trip placement.

May 14 (Wednesday): Lottery system for trip placement closes at 9:00 am Pacific Time.

After this date, registrations and placements are first-come, first-served, based on remaining availability.

By May 28 (or within 2 weeks of receiving your application, if you apply after May 14): Trip placement assignments go out

For those who register during the initial May 1 - May 14 Lottery window, we will send you an email about your trip placement and financial aid award by May 28. If you register after May 14, we will send you an email about your trip placement (if space is available), and financial aid award, within 2 weeks.

We do not require payment until after you have been placed on a trip and know your financial aid situation. After this point, please refer to your individual trip pages for specific trip information.

June 18 (Wednesday): Trip Balance Due
Unless you are waiting to be notified about your trip placement and financial aid award, the balance of your trip is due by 5pm on Wednesday, June 18. For later registrations, your due date will be sent with your trip assignment. Online payments can be submitted using the link that will be provided to you in your trip placement email. Payments are also accepted as paper checks, by mail.

June 18 is also the last day to cancel without financial penalty (see below).

June 18 (Wednesday): Required Forms Due
Your individual New Student Trip page will have links to the forms that are required by this date. Those forms are 1) your travel information, 2) the release of liability, and, for Outdoor Adventures, 3) the equipment you would like to borrow. There is no additional charge for any equipment you would like to borrow for your New Student Trip. If you do not have travel plans finalized prior to June 18 due to extenuating circumstances, please contact us; we can extend the deadline upon request.

July 31 (Thursday): Trip registration closes at 11:59pm Pacific Time (midnight). No registrations can be accepted after this time, including waitlist registration, transfer students, nor late admits.

August 19 - 26 (Tuesday - Thursday): Trips begin
Trips begin on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, Aug. 19, 20, and 21, 2024. Visit the individual New Student Trip page to see the start date for each trip, and visit the Pre & Post Trip Logistics page for more info about arriving for your trip.

August 26 (Tuesday): Trips end
All trips end on Tuesday, August 26 and students on off-campus trips will be able to move into their residence hall that day (one day prior to normal move-in). New Student Orientation begins on Wednesday, August 27. Visit the Pre & Post Trip Logistics page for more info about returning from your trip.

If your New Student Trip is cancelled by us: we will provide the earliest possible notice and give you a choice of a full refund or an alternate trip (if alternate trips are available).

If you cancel a reservation, the following schedule applies:

On or before June 25th: Full refund.

After June 25th: Up to $100 of the trip fee is non-refundable, and the remaining fee is only refundable if we are able to fill your spot off the waitlist. Exceptions are made for documented emergencies, illness (including a positive Covid-19 test), or other extenuating circumstances which may be evaluated individually.

Participants on College Outdoors trips are expected to follow all Lewis & Clark College conduct policies. All trips are tobacco, drug, and alcohol free, including vaping, medical cannabis, and tobacco products. Nicotine
patches and gum are permitted.

College Outdoors has specific policies and procedures to mitigate risks on trips, which are outlined in the policy brochure and will be explained by your trip leaders. These policies include: Respecting others, food sanitation practices, requiring the use of Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs, sometimes referred to as lifejackets), requiring close-toed shoes, staying 6 ft. away from cliff edges, practicing “leave no trace” in the outdoors, and not engaging in exclusive or sexual relationships during trips. Policy violations may result in
disciplinary action and/or removal from trips at your expense.

The most common injuries which could occur on this trip are blisters on feet (don’t forget to break in your boots), and burns from not applying enough sunscreen. These are all preventable with a little caution and common sense. Yellow jackets (wasps) can be pests at this time of the year, and people with the potential for severe reactions to stings should plan to bring their own anaphylaxis kits (EpiPens). Please note that our hikes will sometimes go to remote areas and medical help could be hours away. Our trip leaders generally carry cellphones or satellite phones, but remember service is not always available in remote areas. Trip leaders are trained as Wilderness First Responders.  

 

For more information about risks on our outdoor trips, visit this page.